Prominent Egyptian actor and UNICEF goodwill ambassador, Khaled Abol Naga, has come under severe backlash and criticism after he reaffirmed his support for gay rights in the country. He likened the ostracism homosexuals endured to racism.

In his words,“Gay people are born with romantic tendencies toward the same sex and this is scientifically documented now, just like the roundness of the Earth. Ignorance of these facts is what society lacks to understand what homosexuals are suffering,”

Back in 2015, Abol Naga sparked widespread criticism, both on social media and among the Egyptian populace, after he signaled his approval to the gay marriage law that was passed in the US.

He had gone on to replace his Facebook profile photo with a rainbow logo, symbolizing the gay and transgender (LGBT) movement, a move that saw him being accused by critics of being a homosexual himself.

Fifty-one year old Abol Naga has featured in dozens of Egyptian movies and documentaries over the years, some of which are: “Microphone” (2010), “Bussy Monologues” (2013), “Décor” (2014), “From A to B” (2014), “Eyes of a Thief” (2014), and “Out of the Ordinary” (2015)